Israel Police arrest six in Tel Aviv protest for Gaza hostage deal

Israel Police arrested six Israelis during a Tel Aviv protest for an immediate hostage deal on Wednesday night, Maariv reported. 

As well as mass protests, individual groups of protesters gathered outside ministers' homes across the country for the fourth consecutive night, standing together to demand an immediate hostage deal.

Yael, daughter of hostage Ofer Calderon, stationed herself outside Likud MK Yoav Kisch’s home in Hod HaSharon, while Ofer’s brother spoke outside Gila Gamliel's home in Tel Aviv.

Omer Wenkert’s uncle protested outside Foreign Minister Israel Katz's home in Ganei Tikva, and other family members of hostages set up a Shiva tent outside Shas leader Arye Deri's home in Jerusalem.

These gatherings were in addition to the main protest outside the Begin Gate of the Kirya IDF base in Tel Aviv. According to Ynet, fires were lit on Begin Road as the protests continued, and clashes with police broke out, leading to multiple road blockages across the country and Highway 4 being blocked to traffic, as well as six arrests.

"We call on the public to join and come together with the families of the hostages to the demonstrations and protests and to the homes of ministers and coalition members to hold demonstrations and protest vigils demanding that they use their authority to bring about a deal now," the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters stated.

Mass protests have been held across the country since the bodies of six hostages murdered in Hamas captivity were recovered from Gaza.

Multiple people have been arrested on suspicion of disturbing the peace, with law enforcement claiming that bonfires were lit and police were prevented from extinguishing them "in blatant violation of the law and assault on officers in unnecessary confrontations."

Hostage Forum response

"Netanyahu proved last night that he does not intend to bring back the hostages," the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters stated, referring to the Prime Minister’s statement maintaining the importance of an Israeli presence in the Philadelphi corridor.

"This is the true meaning of his words behind all the lies and spins we heard from him. The people of Israel, who mostly support the return of the hostages, will no longer lend a hand to this criminal abandonment. The struggle for their return will be intensified and increased until the last hostage returns home. We call on the general public to turn out en masse in the streets - only public protest that will shake the country will bring everyone home."